New Research Shows Australian Women 'Too Embarrassed' To Get Life Saving Test

Feeling 'awkward' is stoping incredible progress right in its tracks. Image: StocksySource:Whimn

One third of women put off screening.

Australia could be the first country in the world to be rid of cervical cancer, with researchers predicting the disease could be eradicated by 2035.

But there is a huge problem standing in the way.

According to research by the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation, a third of Australian women put off cervical screening because it’s “awkward.” Many women are deterred from potentially lifesaving screenings because they’re worried about their smell or grooming.

The Cancer Council estimates in 2019 alone, 951 Australian women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Of those, 256 women will die of the disease.

And Indigenous women are at even greater risk. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are four times as likely to die from cervical cancer.

Australia on track to eliminate cervical cancer

Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, according to the Cancer Council. A nationwide free vaccination program for male and female teenagers has been credited in helping eliminate the cancer. The Cancer Council’s Karen Canfell told Sky News Australia is due to eliminate the cancer from 2035 due to its 'proactive approach'.

It's time we got real about reproductive health. Read how this woman paid $300 to be gaslighted by her gynaecologist. Or see why 'I felt like she had an alien growing inside my body'.

With the increasing success of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination program and changes to the National Cervical Screening Program, Australia is leading the fight against cervical cancer. If these programs are successful, by 2022 less than 6 women in 1000,000 will contract cervical cancer. These rates will continue to drop year by year, eventually eliminating the cancer in our country.

This morning, the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation (ACCF) launched their new eradication campaign – cerFIX2035. And with it, they released the worrying results of a nation-wide survey.

27.6% Australia women are putting off life-saving appointments because they’re embarrassed, and a third of women because its awkward. Many women flagged that they’re concerned they’re not “normal down there,” fearful that they might “smell,” or that they’re not “groomed appropriately.”

The stigma attached to our vaginas et al. is blocking thousands of women from accessing the correct healthcare, and has now been formally identified as a significant barrier standing in the way of eradicating a deadly disease.

The survey also found that Australian women are ill-informed about the correct process and regularity involved with the Cervical Screening Test.

The Cervical Screening Test has moved from a cycle every two years, to a five-yearly cycle. However the survey found that nearly half of all women were unaware that we are now required to undergo the new Cervical Screening Test within our scheduled two years, before then moving onto the every five year cycle. This is why doctors are encouraging women who have not been screen in the last years to do so before December 2019.

Each year, more than 25,000 woman are found to have abnormalities in the results of their Cervical Screening Test.